Pull-on diapers (also called pants type diapers) having a plurality of elastic members laterally disposed in the below-waist portion thereof, which is to be located around a wearer's below-waist portion, to make below-waist gathers are known. Among recently proposed pull-on diapers are those having below-waist gathers not around the whole circumference below the waist but only in both side portions. Such side gathers are formed by cutting elastic members disposed in the below-waist portion at the proximity of the widthwise middle of the front portion (the portion to be located on the wearer's stomach side) and/or the rear portion (the portion to be located on the wearer's back side).
For example, JP-A-2001-478 discloses a disposable diaper having a laminate for snug-fit gathers which is composed of a pair of nonwoven fabric sheets and elastic members for below-waist gathers disposed between the sheets. The laminate has the elastic members fixed over the whole width thereof except the widthwise middle portion, and the elastic members have been cut in that widthwise middle portion. Since the elastic members, held in between the two nonwoven fabric sheets, have been cut in the middle of the laminate, a reinforcing sheet is bonded to one of the nonwoven fabric sheets to compensate for the shortage of laminate strength due to the cutting. The reinforcing sheet is further covered with a backsheet. The publication additionally mentions that a patterned sheet can be used as the reinforcing sheet.
JP-A-2002-272783 proposes a disposable pull-on diaper having an outer laminate sheet composed of two nonwoven fabric sheets and elastic members for below-waist gathers disposed therebetween. In an embodiment of the diaper, a pattern of a backsheet disposed on the inner side of the outer laminate sheet can be seen through the outer laminate sheet.
The above-described conventional disposable diapers encounter with the following problems. In the diaper of JP-A-2001478, the cut portions of the elastic members are covered with three sheets on the outer side thereof. That is, the diaper involves use of an increased number of constituent members, which results in increased cost. The problem of JP-A-2002-272783 is that the pattern cannot be clearly seen from the outside because it is covered with two nonwoven fabric sheets.
JP-A-2001-61890 suggests that the cut ends of elastic members for below-waist gathers, if noticeable to the naked eye, can be hidden by providing a hiding member on the outer side of the below-waist elastic members. The publication does not give specific description about the hiding method nevertheless.